The Clitoris: Completely For Your Pleasure, Baby

“We hope that in 10 or 20 years, health researchers will look back and say, wow, we knew for years how physical exercise and brain exercise improve our longevity and happiness — why didn’t we get to the clitoris sooner?”

— Dr. Sybil Lockhart, sex researcher at OMGYes

Vicki here. . .

The clitoris is finally getting the attention she deserves. After years of research indifference, the clitoris is now recognized as the unrivaled center of women’s sexual pleasure. Turns out the little nub is a much bigger deal than science has previously acknowledged.

A little history. . .

The Greeks were aware that men and women have analogous genital anatomy, and later, Leonardo Da Vinci drew fascinating anatomical sketches of the clitoris. But somewhere in the 18th century, the clit disappeared from medical books, and the primacy of the penis and male orgasms took center stage.

Freud further degraded female sexuality by calling clitoral pleasure “child’s play” and declaring that healthy “mature” women find sexual satisfaction only in the vagina. Clitoral stimulation was considered masturbation (very bad!) and a secondary, lesser type of sex.

Freud’s postulating led generations of western women to believe that they were inadequate if they could not orgasm vaginally, when in fact, we now know that only 25% of women do so consistently. His narrow definition of healthy sex was limited to vaginal penetration by a penis—everything else was considered abnormal. Somehow, he managed to pathologize most of good sex!

The mighty clit to the rescue

Freud’s polemic explains why many women like myself grew up thinking that penis/vagina sex was the main course. . .and the only option on the menu. Making out, petting, masturbation, and oral sex were fun for kids (or perverts!) but insufficient, meager appetizers before the consummation of intercourse. Nothing could be further from the truth! Little wonder so many women have been let down and lost their desire for sex.

Turns out the clitoris is distinguished for being the only organ in the human body designed purely for pleasure. Being the most densely innervated organ in the human body, it has over 8,000 nerve endings in the tip alone, double the number of nerve endings in the head of a penis, which makes the little nub highly sensitive. And, all those tingly little nerves exist solely for women’s sexual pleasure. Imagine that!

Scant research has been done on clitoral anatomy. A major breakthrough occurred in 2005 when Helen O’Connell, an Australian urologist, used the modern imaging technique, MRI, to illustrate that the clitoris is much larger than initially imagined.

She was able to show that the pea-sized tip we can see and touch is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The clitoris begins above the urethra and extends back into the body, then splits downward into two legs, the crura. You can see the orange legs in the artist’s rendition below.

Dr. O’Connell explains, “The vaginal wall is, in fact, the clitoris. If you lift the skin off the vagina on the side walls, you get the bulbs of the clitoris – triangular, crescents of erectile tissue.”

Men and women are made of the same stuff

The bulbs of the clitoris are erectile tissue, which become engorged with blood when sexually aroused, the same way the penis does. Both women and men become “erect” when aroused, but women’s erections are mostly internal.

When asked how to respond to young girls who ask, “Do I have a penis?” Betty Dodson, Ph.D., sex educator and artist, suggests that you say, “Yes, you do! It’s just hidden inside you!”

Not only that, but the clitoris and penis are made of the same type of cells. This is not surprising considering that embryos begin life with the same genital tissue, which is “fundamental,” or female.

At six weeks, embryos with the Y chromosome are flooded with gonadal hormones that begin the process of sexual differentiation. The glans penis is analogous to the clitoris. The labia minora is analogous to the male’s spongy urethra, and the labia majora and male scrotum develop from similar structures.

All this validates that the clitoris is much more than a tiny button immature women enjoy fiddling with. Quite the contrary. The clitoris is a major organ, made from the same stuff as male genitalia, and it exists solely for women’s pleasure. Pretty amazing when you think about the implications for women’s health and happiness.

Getting it going for yourself

In a 2017 study of over 1,000 American women aged 18-94, about 75% said they needed clitoral stimulation to reach orgasm during vaginal sex. They also described a wide variety of ways they like their clits stimulated. The researchers took this information, created a vocabulary for women’s pleasure, and from that, produced an educational website, OMGYes.com.

If you’re inspired by now to get back to the business of pleasuring yourself, I recommend you check out OMGYes. So far, this innovative group has completed Season One, which explores the science of women’s pleasure and clitoral stimulation. Based on interviews with over 2,000 women, the OMGYes team inventoried the many ways women pleasure themselves clitorally, “revealing techniques that hadn’t even been named yet.”

Gotta say I love this site! It’s a breath of fresh air, with its open, respectful, science-based approach to women’s sexuality. There are informative videos with real people and state-of-the-art technology which help women increase their sexual pleasure. Also, there’s an interactive part that allows women and their partners to practice 12 techniques for pleasuring their clit. Freud must be rolling over in his grave!

Two other things you can do to jumpstart or improve your clitoral pleasure:

Make a date with yourself. Put on your favorite music. Take a leisurely bath with lots of steam and bubbles. Then get a hand mirror and explore your intimate lady parts. Slowly, luxuriously take it all in. Each woman’s genitals are unique, as unique as each woman’s face. Love what you see, revel in your personal beauty.

Make another date with yourself. Put on music that appeals to your flirtatious side. This time after bathing, get comfortable with lots of pillows on the bed. Lie back and begin caressing your arms and legs lovingly with long smooth strokes, appreciating the warm, softness of your skin. Remember to breathe, finding a rhythm that relaxes you. Follow the energy, meaning let your hands go wherever it feels good. Gently touch your erogenous zones: the breasts, inner thighs, and mound of Venus. Let your fingers explore the hood and outer labia of your vulva. Then the inner labia below the clitoris, and lastly the clitoral tip, which is the most sensitive of all. Experiment with pressure and strokes, keeping your attention focused on what feels good, and always going in that direction.

Kevin here…

The OMGYes.com site definitely clarified and cemented some things I have learned making love with you. Namely, that exclusive focus on the clitoral tip is not where it’s at!

Sure, stimulating the tip is pretty intense and homage must be paid. But attention should also be focused on areas around the hidden clitoral shaft, the vaginal opening, and beneath the labia. Again, changing it up always works! And, any knowledge that helps me pleasure you better is treasured, and believe me, I will put it to good use!

But most of all, My Beloved, I am entranced by the knowledge that the clitoris’ only function is sexual pleasure. I believe this is delightful proof that we have evolved to be sexual beings. That our anatomy is designed for sexual pleasure indicates that intense body pleasure is our birthright. The miracle of clitoral pleasure catalyzes our intimate connections, opens our hearts, soothes our bodies, quiets our fretful minds, and glorifies our souls. I thank the universe for this sacred gift! And, I thank age for the wisdom to know it.

Recent Posts

Visit Us!

Share Us!

Disclaimer

Although both of us are healing professionals, we do not offer medical or psychological advice on this site. To do so without direct evaluation and examination would be unethical and just plain wrong! The views expressed here are personal and meant to educate and encourage you–they are not prescriptions in any way.